


To Whom It May Concern

by iamsiriuslyriddikulus



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-15
Updated: 2013-08-02
Packaged: 2017-12-20 06:52:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/884250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamsiriuslyriddikulus/pseuds/iamsiriuslyriddikulus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ethan gets charged with the task of making Danny fall in love with him. It’s simple enough. He just never thought he’d fall in love too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The next chapters are going to be longer.

“What’s so special about Beacon Hills?” Ennis asks. “Honestly, doesn’t look like anything special.” Ennis shrugs when Kali throws him a glare. Ethan’s been wondering the same thing. It’s not as if he’d ever ask. Everyone usually knows better than to question Deucalion’s motives.

Deucalion looks over in Ennis’ direction and raises an eyebrow. “Don’t trust me, Ennis?”

This seems to do the trick. Immediately, Ennis shrinks back, and he clears his throat. “No, of course I do. I just mean, you said that what we have to do here is special.”

“It is,” Deucalion answers. “We’re going to gain another wonderful Alpha in the pack. Maybe even more than one. There’s one in particular that I want, though.” He stretches his shoulders back and leans against the car seat.

“We’re almost there,” Kali says. Ethan looks out the window to see a sign saying “BEACON HILLS” and claiming it to be ten miles down the road.

“Is there a pack in Beacon Hills, then?” Aiden asks. He cranes his head and looks outside, nudging Ethan. There’s a deer, lying dead at the side of the road. Ethan scrunches his nose, and Aiden laughs.

“Oh, come off it, Eth, you’ve  _killed_ deer before. Don’t tell me that you’re getting all sentimental and animal lover on me.”

Ethan shoots his brother a withered look and sighs. He’s not as big of a fan of the moving around as Aiden is. It’s not that he has an issue adjusted. In fact, it’s easy to adjust. He knows that he and Aiden attract others. There’s something charming about being twins. No matter where Aiden and Ethan go, they draw attention. Ethan loves it, and he knows Aiden does too. No matter how many times he sees people fawning over him or pointing him out, he still feels the same rush of pride. He’s hot, and he’s not about to deny it anytime soon.

But it doesn’t make moving around any less annoying. After all, it’s not as easy finding the good gay bars and the best fucks in small towns. It seems like, as soon as he does, he’s off to another place.

“Is there another pack?” Aiden asks again.

“There is.”

“So, you think the Alpha’s worthy of joining our pack?” Kali asks. She arches an eyebrow and shoots a skeptical look that Deucalion can’t see at him through the rearview mirror. But Kali knows that Deucalion doesn’t need to see to actually know which look she’s giving him.

“Come now, Kali. Do you doubt me too?”

“I’m just wondering who it is? Are you really going to keep it from us?”

“The Alpha is Derek Hale.”

“As in one of the Hales who –“ Kali starts, but Deucalion cuts her off.

“But he’s not the one we’re interested in,” Deucalion finishes.

“You’re not interested in a Hale?”

“He might be a lovely other addition, but he’s not the one I’m looking for, no.”

Ethan tilts his head to the side. He doesn’t mind Deucalion. In fact, he knows better than to ever disrespect him, yet he doesn’t understand why he has to always keep a shroud of mystery around things.

“Who are we interested in, then?” Ethan asks. It seems to be the right question because Deucalion turns around and grins.

“I’m glad you asked, Ethan. You are a very crucial part of our plan.”

Aiden nudges Ethan, and Ethan rolls his eyes. He doesn’t know how to react to that. “With Aiden?” he asks.

“No, alone, actually.”

The news shocks both of them. “Alone?” Aiden repeats. He looks over at Ethan, who shrugs.

“Unless your sexuality has changed…” Deucalion says with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, Aiden. You’re still going to be useful to us.”

“Wait, what does my sexuality have to do with any of this?” Ethan asks.

“Okay, kids, look outside. Sorry, Duke. Welcome to your home for the next few weeks,” Kali says.

Ethan looks outside. The town looks simple and small. He sighs and dull. It doesn’t hold his interest for long, and he looks back at Deucalion, waiting for answer.

“You are going to seduce our new, little Alpha,” Deucalion says, smiling. “I have high hopes in you, Ethan.”

There’s something incredibly satisfying about hearing this from Deucalion. He is like the father he never had. Aiden huffs, obviously jealous, and Ethan nudges him, sticking out his tongue. Aiden’s only response is a mouthed  _fuck off_. “So, what am I doing?” Ethan asks. He sits up straighter, thinking that Beacon Hills won’t be all that bad, after all.

“You are going to seduce Danny Mahealani. You and Aiden are going to go to school. Aiden, you can help watch over the other pack by seducing one of their little human friends.”

“So, is he just a lone Alpha?” Ethan asks.

“That’s odd,” Ennis murmurs. “You don’t really see too many of those.”

“No. He’s human,” Deucalion says. He stretches out, and their car pulls up to the hotel that they’re booked to stay in until they can rent an apartment.

“I thought you said that he’s an Alpha,” Aiden says. He reaches out to open the handle, but Deucalion reaches back, stopping his hand.

“Let’s quickly finish the conversation in here,” Deucalion says. “I don’t know all of their alliances yet, and I don’t want to risk telling the wrong thing in front of the wrong person.”

“I thought you said that I was going to seduce an Alpha?” Ethan asks, suddenly confused.

“This human is special. I’m surprised the Hale pack hasn’t realized yet.” Deucalion seems smug, and he turns to face everyone. As his head turns, Ethan gets the feeling that, if he could see, Deucalion would be giving everyone an intense look. “His last name is Mahealani.”

“The meaning’s kind of slipping on me,” Aiden says, shrugging.

“I have to admit; Aiden’s got a point,” Kali agrees. Ethan stays silent, staring at Deucalion. Several questions run through his head about Danny and the situation, but he avoids asking them. There is no doubt in his mind that most of his questions will be answered in the next few days.

“Do you know what Mahealani means?” Deucalion asks.

“Werewolf?” Ennis guesses.

“Full moon. Heavenly moonlight as well.” Deucalion pauses for a moment, letting it sink in before continuing. “He is special.”

“How so?” Kali asks.

“His family dates back to one of the original packs in Hawaii. Mahealani was their surname.”

Ethan isn’t entirely sure what that means, and he can tell Aiden isn’t either, but he doesn’t ask. It means something to Kali and Ennis. They sit up straighter, and their faces are more serious.

“He might be more powerful than us,” Kali says after a moment. She furrows her brow.

“It’s a possibility,” Deucalion turns to Ethan, and Ethan runs a hand through his hair. “It’s also a possibility that their strength has diluted over the generations. We won’t know until we find out. It’s just important that the other pack doesn’t find out first and that Danny comes to us willingly.”

“So, what exactly am I doing?” Ethan asks.

“You are going to make him fall in love with you. Our goal is to keep him away from any other pack. If he turns out useful to us, we’ll keep him. If not, kill him.”

“Fall in love with me?” Ethan echoes. Neither he nor Aiden do relationships. They’re messy and all about  _emotions_. Ethan doesn’t deal well with people clinging or crying. Everything is so much simpler with a simple fuck. He doesn’t know how to respond, but he knows he doesn’t have a choice. When he glances over, he notices Aiden snickering behind his hand, and he hit his arm. “Asshole,” he mutters.

“Are you telling me that there’s a kid running around here with the last name ‘full moon,’ and the pack here has done nothing about it?” Kali asks.

“As far as I know, Derek Hale’s pack doesn’t know about it. It’s best we keep it that way,” Deucalion answers.

"Derek Hale’s pack’s a bunch of idiots," Kali says, propping her feet up on the dashboard as she looks at Deucalion.

"They really are," Aiden says with a snort. “Someone with the name of ‘ _full moon_ ’ is running around their little town, and it’s right under their noses.”

It seems to settle down for a few moments, and everyone looks over at Ethan. He wishes his mission was just to kill the kid because he knows how to do that so much better than get someone to fall in love with him. Everyone’s attention turns to him as everything processes. He looks around the group, from Kali’s serious and concerned expression to Aiden’s bemused one, and he knows he can’t fail them; they’re family. They’re all he has.

"You up for the challenge, Ethan?" Deucalion asks. He strums his fingers against the dashboard of the car. “Think you can make Danny fall in love with you?”

"Absolutely."


	2. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, now we're getting to the beginning of Dethan. It'll only progress from here.

Ethan becomes well-acquainted with Beacon Hills in the time leading up to school. By the time the first day of school rolls around there, he’s already met half of Derek’s little pack, and he’s sure he’ll be meeting more soon. They’re inexperienced and reek of fear. Out of the three, the only one who doesn’t is the blonde girl, and she doesn’t last long.

By the time they have to go to school, Ethan’s already bored of the town. They’ve had one runaway, Isaac, but it’s doesn’t really matter. Deucalion considers them more as the entertainment. They’re really here for Danny.

Beacon Hills is like any other high school. It’s loud and annoying. Everyone seems excited to be back, talking with their friends about their summer plans. Ethan stands outside, next to Aiden, staring up at the building. “I hate it already,” Ethan says, holding his helmet in his hand.

“C’mon, Deucalion’s orders.”

Ethan’s busy glancing around the placed when Aiden nudges him. “What do you want, Aiden?”

“We already have fans.” Aiden chuckles, and Ethan follows where Ethan’s looking. When he strains, he can hear the girls talking.

“Imagine both of them at once,” one of the girls says, and Ethan has to cover his mouth as he laughs.

“If they only knew…” Ethan says, looking at Aiden.

“I’m sure you’d break their poor, little human hearts.”

“All the more reason for them to know.” Ethan waggles his eyebrows, and the two of them head inside, side by side.

The school bell is louder and shriller than Ethan remembers. He winces as he looks over at Aiden. Aiden grins at him, and they start heading to their first class together. It doesn’t take long to spot out the other werewolves. Before they can see them, they hear them.

“So, there are killer Alphas on the loose. Not the first time we’ve dealt with that,” one of them says.

“Peter was different, Stiles. You know that.”

Ah, yes, Stiles. Deucalion has told them more about the pack. Apparently, Derek’s pack has some human betas running around. Ethan crinkles his nose and looks over at Aiden again. Aiden’s obviously listening in to the conversation as well, and he chuckles.

“Well, that was easier than expected. We just need to figure out who Danny is,” Aiden says.

“Once we do that, we’re good to go. I’ll do my little thing, and we can get out of this boring-ass town.” All of their phones buzz, and Ethan quirks his eyebrows, reaching to his pocket to grab his. As he opens it, the teacher walks into the room.

“The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky – seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness.”

She looks around the classroom, and Ethan straightens up, glancing over at Scott and Stiles one more time. He has a feeling that it’s going to take longer in Beacon Hills than he wants.

oOoOoOo

It isn’t until third period, in his AP History class, that he ends up meeting Danny. The teacher, Dr. James, seems bored as she calls out names of everyone. It’s not until she comes to Danny’s last name that she stumbles.

“How do you pronounce your last name? Mahealani?” She says it slowly and unsurely.

Ethan’s ears perk up, and he looks over at Danny. Danny’s fitted in a tighter V-neck, and he nods at the teacher, adjusting a pencil on his desk. Even after the teacher’s moved on, Ethan’s eyes linger. He looks happy and comfortable, and Ethan can’t help but wonder how this kid holds so much power.

Danny glances over at him, and Ethan feels caught. He expects Danny to glare or look uncomfortable, but, instead, a smile spread across Danny’s face. His eyes crinkle a bit as he smiles at Ethan, and Ethan can’t help but smile back.

“Now, who can tell me who Hammurabi is?” the teacher asks. “If you’ve done the summer reading, you should be able to answer.” She glances around the room. “Anybody?” Danny raises his head, and the teacher points. “Yes, Mr. Mahealani?”

“Hammurabi was the king of Babylon. He was important to the Babylonian Empire and started his own code saying things like, ‘An eye for an eye.’”

“Fantastic. Thank you.”

Ethan zones in and out of the class lecture. Like most teachers, she only goes over a little bit, and spends most of the class explaining the syllabus. Right before the class bell rings, she clears her throat to make another announcement.

“You guys are going to have a presentation on Friday. You’re going to split up into pairs and research different civilizations. I’ll post the choices on my website, and you and your partner can sign up tonight.” The announcement is met with groans, but no one has time to complain. The bell rings.

Ethan gets up, grabbing his books and moving towards Danny. “Hey.” He’s new to flirting like this. He’s used to someone approaching him, not the other way around. It feels weird as he holds his books under his left arm and grins at Danny.

“You’re Ethan, right?” Danny asks, walking out of the classroom with him.

“Good memory. Danny.”

Danny smiles and nods. “Yeah. So, you’re new in Beacon Hills.”

“Just moved with my family,” Ethan says.

“Can’t imagine what’d bring anyone here. There’s nothing exciting.”

Ethan almost chokes at that. There’s a small pause before Ethan forces out a laugh. “Well, my dad got a job here,” he says. It’s a lie, but it’s not the worst lie he could say.

“I’m not complaining. Beacon Hills could use some more pretty faces.” Danny winks at him, and Ethan relaxes. Perhaps this will be easier than he thought.

“Are you flirting with me, Mahealani?”

“I plead the fifth.” They stop in the middle of the hall, and Danny clears his throat. “Do you maybe have fourth lunch?”

“Yeah, actually.” Aiden does too, but he’s sure that Aiden can sit elsewhere.

“Awesome. I need to grab something out of my locker first, but we can meet in the cafeteria?”

“Sounds good to me.” Ethan watches Danny as he walks down the hall. There’s no doubt in his mind that this is going to be simple.

Most of the tables are full in the cafeteria. Ethan feels awkward sitting alone at one as he waits for Danny, and he glances around. He’s barely been sitting for a minute when Aiden walks behind him and sets his tray on the table.

“I’m sitting with Danny. Go away, Aid.” Ethan swats at Aiden, and Aiden laughs.

“I want to meet your fantastic new boy toy. Have you already _swept him off his feet_?” Aiden batters his eyelashes and laughs.

“Oh, fuck off. He obviously likes me. He tried flirting with me. He said I had a pretty face.” Ethan grins.

“That’s flirting?”

“It sounded better in context.”

“I hope so.” Aiden grabs an apple and bites into it. “You know Lydia?”

“Isn’t that one of the girls in the human pack Derek keeps?”

“That’s the one. She’s actually kind of hot.”

“God. What mess have you gotten yourself into?” Ethan asks. He grabs a fry and pops it into his mouth.

“None. She’s been staring at me, not the other way around. Do you think Deucalion would mind if we got it on?”

Before Ethan can get a chance to reply, he sees Danny walking their way.

“Oh, wow, there’s two of you.” Danny looks back and forth between them, his eyes going wide. “Okay, I wasn’t expecting that.” As he stays standing, Danny glances back and forth between the two of them, his jaw going slack.

 “If you take a picture, it’ll last longer,” Ethan teases.

“I – Sorry. Not often you get twins in Beacon Hills.” Danny shakes his head and sits down. “So, you are?”

“Aiden. The hotter one.” Ethan nudges him.

“Ignore him. He’s just being a pompous dick,” Ethan says, elbowing Aiden and frowning. Aiden and Danny both laugh, and Danny takes a sip of his water.

“So, which class are you in with my brother?”

“AP World,” Ethan replies.

“Don’t know. Maybe we have something else.” Danny sets down his bottle and grabs his schedule. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we did…” There’s a hopeful tone to his voice, and Ethan has to suppress a smug smile.

“I think we have economics together,” Ethan says, pointing to where it says ‘ECONOMICS’ on Danny’s schedule. “And study hall too.”

“Oh, cool.” Danny looks back up at them. “You two trying out for any teams or joining any clubs?” he asks.

“Lacrosse,” Ethan and Aiden says at the same time. A smile lights up on Danny’s face. He has the sort of smile that reaches his eyes, and Ethan’s eyes fall to Danny’s dimples.

“I’m on the lacrosse team,” he says, as a way of explaining his excitement. “It’s awesome. Well, not complete. Finstock can be a bit harsh, but, if you’re a decent player, you’ll be fine.”

“I’m pretty good. Not to brag.”

“He’s okay,” Aiden teases. Rolling his eyes, Ethan smacks Aiden’s arm.

“Again, ignore my brother.”

Danny raises an eyebrow. “I don’t know. I’m finding him kind of amusing.”

“Are you saying that he’s funnier than I am?” Ethan asks, pouting. He’s surprised by how _easy_ it feels to do this. It’s been so long since he’s felt like a normal teenager, and he feels vulnerable for a moment.

“It’s a possibility.” Danny takes a bite of his pizza and smiles. There’s something joking about his smile that Ethan notices, and Danny leans forward, closer to Ethan. “So, our AP World project?” he asks.

“I was thinking, if it’s still open, we could research Egyptian. Either that or the Bronze Age in China.”

Danny nods. “Both sound good.” He runs a hand through his hair, and Ethan can hear his heart speed up. “So, where are we going to study for it?”

“Library?” Ethan suggests.

The response is automatic, but the disappointment is obvious on Danny’s face. Ethan wishes he could teach this kid a thing or two about playing hard to get, but, in all honesty, most of it has to do with the fact that, as a werewolf, he can hear and notice things a normal human couldn’t.

“Right, yeah, library.”

“Or, if you’d prefer, your house?” Again, in response, Danny’s heart speeds up.

“That works too. Whatever you prefer is fine with me.” He can tell that Danny’s just hoping he’ll say his house, and Ethan knows better than to disappoint.

“Your house works perfectly,” Ethan says.

“Awesome.” Danny hides his smile behind another bite of his pizza, but Ethan can tell that he’s happy.

When Danny looks down, Ethan looks over at Aiden. There’s an obvious smirk on Aiden’s face, and Ethan whispers under his breath, just loudly enough that only Aiden can hear him, “Hook, line, and sinker.”

The rest of the meal goes by quickly. When the bell rings, Danny gets up and smiles at Ethan. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow, then? I can give you a ride to my place after school or I can send you my address or something.”

“I ride my bike to school, so address would be easier.”

“Wait, like a –“ Danny motions pedaling – “bike or a motorcycle bike?”

“Motorcycle bike,” Ethan replies, and he can tell that Danny’s having a heart time keeping a reaction off of his face.

“Oh, that’s cool.”

“Yeah, Aiden and I both have one. But we can both go after school to your house. I’ll find you on Facebook, and we can figure it out from there, okay?”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Danny agrees. His gaze lingers on Ethan for a moment longer before he turns around and walks away. Aiden starts laughing as soon as Danny’s out of earshot.

“Oh, God, you have that boy wrapped around your finger already,” Aiden says. “Congrats. Deucalion will be proud.”

oOoOoOo

“So, are you going to kiss on the first date?” Aiden teases. They’re in the library for study hall. Danny hasn’t come yet, but Ethan plans on getting a head start on their project.

Ethan hits him and continues scanning the bookshelf. “It’s not a date yet.”

“I don’t know. I think you’re pretty much set to call this a date. He gets all heart-eyed when he sees you. ‘ _Oh, Ethan, you’re so handsome._ ’” Aiden laughs at his own joke, and Ethan rolls his eyes.

“I hate you. I really do. So, what are you going to do about Lydia?”

“Dukey said it would be good to keep an eye on her too.” Aiden turns around, and Ethan can tell, without looking, that he’s looking at Lydia. “Damn, I can’t wait to pin her up against a wall and fuck –“

“As fantastic as that sounds, I’d really rather not hear about what you’re going to do to her.”

“Oh, don’t be a spoilsport.” Aiden huffs. “I’m just having fun. Besides, she’s totally into me. She keeps on looking over here. Same with Allison.”

“Interesting.” Ethan’s voice is a deadpan.

As Aiden opens his mouth to add something else, Ethan smells Danny. He smiles and grabs a book before glancing around. Danny looks distracted, and he apologizes as he runs into someone.

“Got him all flustered,” Aiden whispers in Ethan’s ear before walking away.

“Hey, so, did you find anything?” Danny asks. He gestures at the book in Ethan’s hands, and Ethan nods.

“I did. The Culture of Ancient Egypt. Sounds like it might be useful.”

“Maybe.” Danny stretches an arm up to the bookshelf to stead himself and leans forward. He’s close enough that Ethan can feel his breath. There’s no reason to be that close, and Ethan wonders whether a library is a proper place to kiss. It’d be that easy, and, when he looks up at Danny’s eyes, he can see that he wants it. Danny’s heart is racing, and even though he looks completely steady, Ethan notices the twitch of his lips and the way he seems to have to focus to keep his gaze steady on Ethan’s face.

“I found another book on –“ Aiden stops. “Woah, am I interrupting something?”

Danny jerks back, and his cheeks turn pink. Despite the innocent way Aiden looks between the two of them, Ethan knows that Aiden has been listening in and waiting for the perfect moment to interrupt. He shoots a glare at Aiden, who just winks at him.

“I was just looking at the book that Ethan had. Thanks, though.” Danny takes the book from Aiden’s hand and starts to walk away. “I’ll find us a table.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Ethan asks, turning on Aiden.

“Oh, calm down, drama queen. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to seduce him later tonight,” Aiden says, rolling his eyes. “I just thought it’d be fun to see Danny squirm. He looked so uncomfortable.”

There’s nothing Ethan can really say to that, so, he just rolls his eyes and starts walking towards the table where Danny’s sitting at. “Well, leave us alone, okay?”

“Aye, aye, captain.” Aiden salutes at Ethan.

Danny is hunched over, looking at the book a little too intensely. Ethan almost feels bad for him. He can tell that Danny’s still embarrassed, and he sighs, setting everything down at the table before looking at Danny.

“Sorry about him. He likes to be a pain in the ass,” Ethan says.

“It’s fine.” Danny waves his hand dismissively, but he still doesn’t look up from the book he’s reading.

“You’d be a little more convincing if your cheeks weren’t still really pink,” Ethan teases. Danny flushes even darker and sets the book down, looking up at Ethan.

“I can’t help it. And I caught you looking at my lips anyway. Don’t deny it.”

Ethan’s eyes go wide. He hadn’t expected Danny to notice something like that. He had just glanced down. “I –“

“Who’s speechless now?” Danny asks, looking smug.

“Fine, guilty as charged. But did you really need to lean over that close?” Ethan asks.

“You mean like you’re doing now?” Danny looks him up and down, and Ethan notices just how close they are. He doesn’t remember purposefully leaning in to Danny, but their voices are lower and his face is just an inch away from Danny’s.

“Oh.” Ethan straightens up and runs a hand through his hair.

“I’m not the only one with a crush, then,” Danny says.

“So, you admit that you have a crush?” Ethan asks. Immediately, Danny’s eyes go wide.

“That’s not what I meant. I mean, you’re hot. I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s okay. You’re pretty hot yourself,” Ethan says.

“I am?”

“But I’m not that easy. You’re going to need to try harder if you want to get into these pants,” Ethan says. He smirks as he pulls back and grabs his book. He opens it up and starts reading it, ignoring Danny as he ogles at him.

“What?”

“You heard me, babe,” Ethan says.

“But…” Danny takes in a slow breath and continues staring at Ethan. There’s nothing worse than sexual tension that fizzles out quickly, and, if Ethan has any say, he’s going to make sure that doesn’t happen. Seducing or not, he knows that Danny’s not leaving anytime soon, so he might as well have fun with it.

It takes Danny a few minutes to collect all of his thoughts, and he looks at Ethan one more time before picking up his book. His hand has the slightest tremor, almost undetectable, and he’s breathing faster than usual. Ethan has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling.

When he glances up, he sees Aiden, sitting a few tables down. He just has to look at him to know that he’s been listening in. Even though he’s not looking at the two of them, Aiden’s laughing.

Danny: 0. Ethan: 1.

oOoOoOo

As they walk toward the parking lot, Ethan hitches his bag up his shoulder. “So, I can just follow your car?”

“No.” Danny stops and leans against the wall. He looks over at Aiden, who’s getting on his bike, and he points to the bike next to it. “So, that’s your bike?” he asks.

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Theoretically… say I took the bus to school this morning,” Danny says.

“Okay…”

“Do you think you could give me a ride to your house?”

Ethan’s jaw goes slack as he stares at Danny. His bike fits two people, but it’ll be snug. Danny will have to lean in and wrap his arms around his waist. It’ll be close and hot and –

Fuck.

Danny: 1. Ethan: 1.


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the wait, guys! Here it is. I promise the quality of the chapters and content will get better as the fic progresses.

Ethan’s almost tempted to say that Danny’s the one playing him. If he didn’t know better, he would think it. The only thing Ethan can conclude (as Danny smugly glances back and forth between him and the motorcycle) is that he’s done this before. He knows he’s won this round, and he does nothing to hide it.

“Are we waiting for something?” Danny asks. He crosses his arms over his chest, and Ethan grins.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“’Course I am. Are we going to ride now?”

With one final look at Danny, Ethan gets on his bike. He scoots forward so that there’s room for Danny, and Danny hops on as well. The bike’s not meant for two people, though it can hold it. Still, it’s a tight squeeze, and Danny has to push forward, right up against Ethan and his backpack. His arms snake around Ethan, and he chuckles in his ear.

“How’s this?”

“Nice and snug,” Ethan replies. He glances back and grabs his helmet, giving it to Danny. If anything happens, he can heal. Danny, on the other hand, doesn’t have that luxury. Danny holds it in his hands for a moment, and he tilts his head to the side. “What?” Ethan asks.

“You have a look.”

“A look?”

“Yup.”

“That’s vague.”

“Well, it’s not like I know what you’re thinking.” He puts the helmet on and leans back in. “Ready?”

“I was born ready.”

Danny laughs. “Not your most original line.”

It must be Danny’s first time on a motorcycle because when they stop or stop, Danny’s hands tighten around him. Ethan can hear his heart pounding, and he smiles. “It’s okay. We’re not going to die,” he reassures.

“Not what I’m worrying about.”

“Oh?” That spikes his curiosity, but Danny doesn’t reply.

It turns out that Danny lives close to the school. The ride is much shorter than Ethan wants it to be, and when they get to a complete stop, Danny holds on for a few moments longer than he needs to. “We’re here, you know,” Ethan says, his voice light and teasing. “You can let go.”

Danny lets go almost immediately, and he huffs. “I’m still not used to the whole motorcycle thing.”

“Well, you survived. That’s step one.”

Danny grins and leads him inside. “My mom and dad work until around seven or so, but you’re welcome to stay for dinner once they get here. We usually eat between seven-thirty and eight.”

“Are you saying this project’s going to take us five hours?”

“I have a tendency to get distracted.” Danny says it with a shrug, but Ethan wonders whether there’s a further implication with that. He stuffs that to the back of his mind to worry about later, when the time is right. At least he knows that he doesn’t need to rush now. He’s got Danny interested, and that’s not changing anytime soon.

When they get inside, Danny stops by the kitchen first. “Need anything?”

“What?”

“Food? Drink? Thirsty? Hungry?”

“Nah, I’m good for now,” Ethan says, shaking his head.

“Suit yourself.” Danny grabs a Coke before making his way back to the foyer and up the stairs. Danny’s room is plain and simple, but it’s surprisingly homey. It’s the first time he’s felt nostalgic in a long time. With the Alpha Pack, there’s never any time to settle down, but Danny’s room looks lived in, and there are pictures and posters on the walls.

He doesn’t realize that he’s been staring until Danny speaks. “You okay, dude?”

Ethan shakes his head and laughs, pushing away those feelings. He has no time to deal with that. It’s in the past. “Yeah, sorry. Got distracted.”

He latches onto the first thing he can find, a picture, and changes the subject. “Who’s that?” He points at a guy he doesn’t recognize in one of the photos of the lacrosse team. He can’t name everyone, but all of the faces on there are familiar except for that one. Danny’s standing right next to him, and he has his arm wrapped around him. The boy is smirking, and Ethan’s willing to bet that the smirk in the photo wasn’t just a heat-of-the-moment expression for this boy.

“That’s Jackson. He moved.” There’s a sadness to Danny’s voice, and Ethan frowns.

“Ex?”

“Nah. Not my type.” At that, his lips curve up, like there’s a joke in that comment that Danny doesn’t get. “But he was my best friend. It sucked having him leave.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet.” Ethan leans in closer, but, before he can ask any more questions, Danny claps his hands.

“Okay, enough reminiscing. I want to finish this project ASAP.” He makes his way over to the bed, sitting down on it and grabbing his laptop. Ethan goes to sit in the chair, but Danny pats the bed next to him. “Room for two, you know,” he says, grinning.

Ethan moves over next to Danny and leans over his shoulder, staring at his computer screen. “I brought my laptop too, and we have some books. Where do you want to start?” Ethan asks.

“How about you start reading, and I’ll work online. I have a poster board and some markers over there,” he says, motioning towards his closet. “We can get it out when we need it, but let’s start by just taking notes first. Probably the best.” He nods and pulls up his internet browser.

Ethan reaches over to his backpack and grabs a book. It’s hard to focus with Danny sitting right there. He’s home alone with another gay guy, and his parents aren’t home. Ethan can’t remember the last time he was _studying_ in a situation like this. He wants to say something, but it’s too soon, so he just opens up the book and starts reading instead.

Working on the project is the opposite of exciting or fun. Danny’s a little too good on focusing in Ethan’s opinion, and after the third hour, he’s tired of reading about Ancient Egyptian culture. “So, when are your parents coming home?” Ethan asks, finishing his short paragraph on the poster board, dropping his marker, and leaning back on Danny’s bed.

“You hungry?” Danny asks. Ethan is, but he doesn’t feel like admitting it.

“Nah” His stomach betrays him by letting out a growl, and he winces. “Okay, maybe.”

“Do you want to grab an apple or something to hold you over? It’s really not that big of a deal. Promise.” He smiles at Ethan, and Ethan can’t help but smile back.

“That would be fantastic.” They get up, and Ethan stretches, popping his back. Danny stretches out a hand, and Ethan pulls him up. For a moment, Danny pauses, leaning against Ethan longer than necessary. When he pulls back, Ethan can hear Danny’s heart pounding.

They make their way downstairs to the kitchen, and Danny grabs them both an apple and a bag of Doritos. “Want to watch a movie?”

“What happened to your laser-like focus?” Ethan teases.

“It’s on break. Movie?”

“How about we finish and watch it after dinner?” Ethan asks. Although Danny pouts, he nods in agreement. Ethan’s sure he’d prefer a movie, but the thought of having to go back to the project later is also irritating.

“Can we just take a five minute break?”

“Yeah, I was kind of hoping for that too.” Ethan laughs and follows Danny to the living room. Danny falls back on the beanbag. When Ethan goes to sit down on the couch, Danny grabs his hand and tugs him down. He catches himself, and he lands with his hands on either side of Danny’s head, his face hovering a few centimeters away from Danny’s.

“Hey,” Danny says. His eyes are wide, and they glance down to Ethan’s lips. Ethan starts bending down when he hears the garage door opening. He rolls over so that he’s sitting next to Danny, and he runs a hand through his hair. Danny’s shoulders slump forward, and he sighs as he gets up.

“Guess your parents are home.”

“Don’t they just have the best timing in the world?” Danny mutters it under his breath. It’s quiet enough that, without special hearing, Ethan wouldn’t have been able to catch it. He smiles to himself as they make their way back towards the kitchen, where the door to the garage is.

His parents open the door, and Danny fidgets with his hands. He seems nervous for some reason, and Ethan places a calming hand on his shoulder.

Danny’s eyes move over to Ethan, and Ethan feels him relax.

“Danny, we’re –“ His mother cuts off as she sees them. She has longer, black hair, and she’s dressed in a suit. She looks surprisingly like Danny. Danny’s father follows, and he smiles brightly at Ethan. He looks less like Danny, but he has his dimples.

“You must be Ethan,” his father says.

Danny’s mother moves forward, pulling Danny into a hug and pressing a kiss to his forehead. Danny moves away, and his cheeks heat up. “Mom…”

“Mr. and Mrs. Mahealani, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Ethan says. He knows his smile is charming as he stretches out his hand.

“You can call me Dana,” Danny’s mom tuts, shaking her head.

“Kai,” his father says. He shakes Ethan’s hand, and Dana follows. “I know it’ a bit stereotypical, but we feel old when Danny’s friends call us ‘Mr.’ and ‘Mrs.’” He laughs.

“Danny’s told us all about you. Seems like you and your brother just moved to Beacon Hills,” his mother says.

Ethan spots Danny, trying to make his way out of the room, and he has to suppress a laugh. “Yes. We moved in with our uncle. It just worked better that way. Our parents are –“ He cuts off before saying dead. A lump rises in his throat, but he clears it before finishing. “They’re busy, and it just was easier for them.”

“Well, I can’t imagine sending Danny off somewhere for a whole year,” Dana says. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” She glances over at Danny, and she chuckles. “Trying to escape?”

“We need to finish a project. Ethan’s staying over for dinner, so you can _interrogate_ him then.” Danny huffs and looks between his mother and father.

“Okay, okay. We’ll let you two boys have your fun. Just remember to be safe!”

Ethan nearly chokes at that, and Danny’s face turns redder than before. “Mom! You can just say things like that. God.” Danny moves away, and Ethan follows.

“I’m sorry. They’re usually not quite like this. I just –“ Danny groans. “Pretend they didn’t say that last bit?”

“I’ll do my best. They’re quite the… characters,” Ethan says.

“Yeah, they’re probably going to be even worse during dinner. I think Mom just likes getting a rise out of me.”

Despite the fact that he’s sure the constant teasing can get annoying, Ethan feels a pang of jealousy. Danny’s life is so normal. And his relationship with his parents obviously is good. Ethan can remember being his old pack. He can remember the way they treated him and Aiden after their parents died, and he lets out a shaky breath.

“You okay?” Danny asks.

Ethan looks up and forces out a laugh. He shakes his head and tries to push the thought from his head. “Yeah, yeah. Spaced out.”

“You do that a lot.”

When they get back up to the room, they sit on the bed and work on the poster. They’ve got most of the information, and, by the time Ethan’s finishing up on the poster board and Danny is typing up the bibliography, Danny’s parents are calling them back down for dinner.

“Give us a minute!” Danny yells back down. He types at the laptop for another half minute before setting it down and grinning. “Okay, we’re done,” Danny says to Ethan.

“About time.” Ethan looks at their poster, which is completely covered in text and pictures. “How does it look?”

“Good to me. C’mon.” Danny tugs Ethan up this time and leads him downstairs. His hand lingers in Ethan’s, and Ethan smiles. Danny doesn’t notice it until they’re turning into the kitchen, and he lets go, staring down as if surprised.

“We’ve made lasagna and garlic bread. I hope that’s okay with you,” Dana says as they walk into the kitchen.

“Sounds delicious. I’m not a picky eater,” Ethan assures.

“Fantastic.” She gestures for the two of them to sit down, and goes over to the oven. Kai is already seated, and he looks over at Ethan.

“So, how do you like school so far?”

“It’s all right. I mean, it just started, but I’m a fan of the people, and, if you have friends, you can’t go wrong,” Ethan replies, looking at Danny. He feels smug as Danny’s eyes drop to the table, and he grins.

“You’re a little too good at doling out compliments,” Danny replies, nudging him.

“Just telling the truth. You’re pretty great.”

“You’re not so bad yourself,” Danny mumbles. When they glance over, both of Danny’s parents are looking at them with broad smiles. They share a look, and Danny, throws his hands up.

“Oh, young love,” Dana says.

“No, don’t you two start,” Danny says, pointing his fingers between the two of them. Ethan chuckles as Dana ignores him and continues.

“Do you remember when we were in love, Kai?” she asks.

“I do. Those were the days.” His voice is light and teasing, and he pressing a peck to Dana’s lips.

“I can’t believe I have to deal with this,” Danny groans. He slides down his chair and scowls.

“We’re not dating,” Ethan says, deciding to put Danny out of his misery.

“Not yet,” Kai corrects. He arches an eyebrow. Ethan feels accomplished. He’s not sure how he’s managed to get Danny this easily, but he isn’t about to complain. He shrugs his shoulders and glances down, forcing a bashful look on his face. He can only imagine what Aiden would say to the situation, and he makes a mental note to tell Aiden about it later.

“ _Anyway_ … Let’s eat,” Danny says. He motions for Ethan to take some lasagna. Dinner goes with very few other speed bumps. Occasionally, Dana or Kai will give them a look. They have questions about Aiden and bout Deucalion.

“We’ll have to meet your aunt and uncle sometime,” Dana says. “I’m surprised we haven’t run into them yet. Beacon Hills isn’t a large town.”

“Oh, they’re generally busy, and they’re not very outgoing,” Ethan replies immediately. The thought of Kali, Ennis, or Deucalion at a dinner like this, acting like makeshift relatives makes Ethan want to laugh.

“Well, if they’re ever up for a dinner, they’re welcome here,” Dana says. Kai nods in agreement.

“Mom, I’m just going to repeat what Ethan said earlier and remind you that _we’re not dating_.” Danny looks visibly annoyed. “There’s no need to organize a huge family gathering. We’re just friends.” He prods at the last bite of his lasagna.

When they finish, Dana brings out ice cream. “You two have fun watching your movie,” she says.

“Thanks,” Danny says, getting up and grabbing two bowls and spoons.

“That was delicious. Thank you,” Ethan says. Dana nods, grabbing the dishes off of the table. “Here, let me help.”

“Oh, no, you don’t need to –“ Dana starts, but Ethan grabs a few plates and takes them over to the sink. He can hear Dana whispering to Kai. “Proper gentleman. I see why Danny likes him.” Her voice is low enough that even Danny, who is beside them, can’t hear them. Danny rests a hand on Ethan’s arm and tugs.

“C’mon. Let’s go watch a movie.” Danny’s holding two bowls of ice cream now, and he hands Ethan one.

They make their way over to the living room and sit on the bean bag. Danny pinches his brow and groans. “I hate them.”

“Don’t. You know they’re just teasing,” Ethan says, taking a spoonful of ice cream.

“I wish they wouldn’t,” Danny mumbled. “They’re so embarrassing.”

“I thought it was kind of funny.” Ethan leans in, closer to Danny, and he nudges his shoulder.

“So, which movie to you want to watch?”

“I have no clue. What do you have?”

Danny motions over to the shelf by the TV, and Ethan moves over to it, glancing through the DVDs. He’s seen a majority of them. “What’s _Spirited Away_?”

“How do you not know _Spirited Away_? It’s by the guy who did _Kiki’s Delivery Service_ and _Howl’s Moving Castle_.”

“Don’t know what those are,” Ethan says.

“What kind of a childhood did you have? C’mon, let’s watch _Spirited Away_. You’ll love it. I promise.” Ethan puts in the DVD and moves back on the beanbag. It takes a moment getting comfortable, and Danny hovers just close enough with actually touching him.

The movie is surprisingly dark, and Ethan likes it more than he expects to. They’re about halfway through when he notices that Danny’s starting to doze off. His head keeps on lulling forward, and his eyes are struggling to stay open. Ethan laughs to himself and moves his attention back on the screen.

By the time Chihiro is running away from an angry No-Face, Danny’s given up on fighting. He moves closer to Ethan and snuggles his head against his chest.

“You’re comfy,” Danny mumbles. Ethan’s eyes drop down, and shakes his head as Danny drapes an arm over him.

“I am?” Ethan asks.

“Yeah. You’re really comfy.”

Danny must be completely out of it to be talking like this, and his voice is slow. He sounds almost like he’s drugged. Ethan wants to laugh, but he’s afraid he’ll jar Danny out of it.

“You’re pretty comfy too,” Ethan says.

“Hey, Eth…” The nickname surprises him, and Ethan’s not entirely sure whether Danny’s saying it out of laziness or because he actually means to use it as a nickname.

“Yeah?”

“My parents are silly, but I – I do like you.” He yawns and nudges his nose up against Ethan’s neck. “You smell so good, and your face is pretty.”

“I feel like you’d be fun drunk,” Ethan mumbles. “But I like you too.”

“Yeah?” Danny lifts his head up, and he manages to open his eyes halfway. “Really?”

“Really. Now get some sleep.” He wraps an arm around Danny, and Danny lowers his head, falling asleep only seconds after he’s resting on Ethan’s chest again.


End file.
